


Give me a smile and I'll give you my heart

by ColorfulWarlock



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Bakery and Coffee Shop, Bittersweet, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Valentine's Day, more sweet than bitter, time lapse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:28:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22706212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ColorfulWarlock/pseuds/ColorfulWarlock
Summary: Two times Magnus was broken on Valentine's day.Two times he received the sweetest present.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 10
Kudos: 134
Collections: Valentine's Day 2020





	Give me a smile and I'll give you my heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [steviesfreckles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/steviesfreckles/gifts).



> This is my contribution to the [Hunter's Moon](https://discordapp.com/invite/RhZPtsd) server event, and I chose the Valentine's day moodboard ~
> 
> Also, this is a gift for a dear friend I made at the server, Saff. A sweet story for a sweet person <3

“Welcome!”

Magnus forced a smile at the cheerful voice, and soon made a beeline to the farthest corner of the bakery. It was strange to be there, especially on Valentine’s day. The establishment was overflowing with people chatting and buying different sets of chocolate to gift their significant others. There were a lot of couples, too. Kissing, hugging, laughing.

No one was alone like him.

He was alone in all aspects of the word. Not that he was too worried about having a girlfriend or boyfriend at only 13, but he really didn’t have anybody. No father, no mother, no siblings or relatives. He was in the system as long as he remembers, jumping from foster home to foster home. Apparently he was too much for all those families. For example, the one he was with right now decided to return him – as if he was some kind of defective toy – just because he liked to wear makeup. _It’s not normal_ they had said.

So, yeah, he was really alone.

And since he only had some coins, he could only buy the cheapest coffee there. Black, bitter.

Not slightly sweet like the holiday.

Alec didn’t understand why people got so pumped up for Valentine’s day. Why wait for a holiday to buy chocolate for your lover? Couldn’t you buy any other day? Adults were strange. He was only 10, but he thought that grown-ups were worse than kids.

Well, at least he could eat more sweeties.

His mother gave him some money to buy candies for him, Izzy and Jace. Not that those two needed since they gained a lot at school from secret admirers. It made sense for Jace to gain so much since almost all the girls liked him, but Izzy? She was only 8, for God’s sake. He really dreaded the time she becomes a teenager. Worse, when Jace becomes a teenager.

The mere idea was enough to make him shudder.

While his siblings were busy choosing the candies, he noticed a solitary boy on a corner. Tilting his head a bit, Alec watched him. He looked so… sad.

Biting his lower lip, he tried to come up with something. Then, reaching to his pockets, he picked all the coins he had gathered from previous weeks. He couldn’t use the money his mother gave because she would ask exactly what he bought to him and his siblings, but if he used his own money, it wouldn’t be a problem, right?

Smiling, he ran to one of the chocolate baskets.

Grimacing, Magnus drank the last drops of coffee, feeling the bitter flavor on his tongue.

Well, it perfectly summarized his life.

He was about to get up and leave when a small hand put something on the table in front of him. Blinking, a bit dumbfounded, he reached to the chocolate bar wrapped in a blue and gold paper. Then, he glanced towards the one who brought it.

A boy who might be only a few years younger than him. Messy black hair, pale skin, a scar on one of his brows. His eyes were fixed on his shoes, but Magnus was sure they were hazel. And there was a cute pink blush on his features, perhaps indicating that despite being embarrassed, he was trying to be brave while standing in front of a stranger.

“It’s… it’s milk chocolate with cinnamon. The bakery lady said it’s very tasty. I… I heard that sweet things are good to make a person smile. So I hope you can s-smile.” He stuttered, becoming redder at each second.

Magnus didn’t know how to respond to that, but in the end, a soft smile formed on his lips. This was enough to make Alec beam when he finally lifted his eyes up.

“I appreciate. Thank you…?”

“Alec!”

“From Alexander?” The boy nodded eagerly. “Well, thank you, Alexander. I’m Magnus.”

“Magnus…” Alec repeated with a whisper as if trying to seal the name into his memory.

“But why did you give this chocolate to me? It’s Valentine’s day. Shouldn’t you be giving it to some lovely girl out there?”

“No!” Alec scrunched his nose, looking offended. One corner of Magnus’ lips twitched slightly, amused to that reaction. “We don’t need to give chocolate only for a lover. I can give to my sister Izzy, to my brother Jace, and to my parents.”

“And to strangers too?”

“Yeah,” Alec shrugged as if it was nothing. “You looked like you needed one.”

Magnus’ smile grew fondly. What a sweet kid.

“Alec, c’mon!” Jace called loudly, already in the queue while holding Izzy’s hand. “You have to pay so we can go home faster. _Pokémon_ will start in 15 minutes!”

Alec sighed, turning to Magnus.

“Are you going to be okay? I’ll see you again?”

“I don’t think so. This is my last day here. I’m going back to… another place tomorrow. Far away from here.” More specifically, an orphanage in another city, but the kid didn’t have to know that.

“Oh… Okay.” Alec looked disappointed, but smiled nonetheless and shyly waved goodbye to Magnus, soon turning and going back to his siblings.

Magnus took the chocolate and left the bakery.

Later, alone in the small bedroom he owned for only 2 months, he would cry while thinking why something so sweet could taste even bitter than the sadness he felt.

~*~

Magnus never thought that after twelve years, he would be back at this same bakery. On Valentine’s day. Somehow, it felt like a bad joke from the Universe. Because now, he wasn’t just alone in that goddamn place.

He was pretty much heartbroken.

Beautiful and dangerous Camille. Played nice until she got tired and broke every sense of self-love or respect Magnus had for himself. Truth to be told, it has already been some months, but the bitter taste never dissipated. As bitter as the coffee he was drinking – out of his own choice this time, not for being penniless. 

At least he still had some good people in his life. His best friends and only family. Cat, Ragnor and Raphael. However, those traitors were out of the city, so he was left to brood by himself in a day full of cheesy declarations and sweet lips.

Damn, he wanted that too.

When he got tired and decided to leave, some kind of déjà vu happened. The same chocolate bar – wrapped in blue and gold paper – was placed in front of him. That and a plate of white chocolate cake with strawberries. Frowning, he – again – glanced towards the kind soul responsible for that, and almost fell from his chair.

“A-Alexander?”

“Hey,” Alec greeted with the same shy smile, but there was something easier, softer there. “I heard that sweet things are good to make people smile. I thought you needed that.” He repeated the same words from years ago, and Magnus felt his heart swollen.

“How?” Because that definitely didn’t make any sense.

Alec just shrugged and pointed to their siblings. “They really like the chocolate from here. Every year we come to buy some. Izzy will gift her girlfriend and Jace has two boyfriends to gift.” Then he gestured nonchalantly in the air with a hand. “They both have a pretty strong game.”

“And you don’t?” Magnus asked with amusement. If he had to be honest, Alec was a thousand times better than his siblings. Actually, than anyone in that crowded place. He became a very tall and handsome man. His messy hair was a little bit longer and seemed so soft to wrap his fingers with. Broad shoulders and muscular arms. Perfect pale skin to be marred.

Angels above and demons below, Magnus was _thirsty._

“Not very lucky in that department.” And it was true. He had some relationships after finally coming out years before, but nothing that lasted long enough.

Because he was never good enough.

Even so, for some odd reason, every year at Valentine’s day he felt compelled to come back at this bakery. It was true that he accompanied his siblings as some kind of tradition because, really, after a certain age his presence wasn’t necessary anymore. However, he always wanted to come, keeping a childish hope to see that sad boy again.

Finally, they found their way to each other. And this time, Alec had money enough to buy more than a simple chocolate bar.

“Alec, let’s go!”

Alec sighed. And again, his siblings’ timing was the worst. Shaking his head, he offered an apologetic smile to Magnus and then left.

Magnus barely had time to express any reaction. In a blink of the eye, Alec was gone. Once more.

He was really cursed in the love department.

At least, he had a cake. And another chocolate bar. Taking it, he turned the chocolate to unwrap it, when a dark scribble on the paper caught his attention. Numbers.

Ten numbers.

“Oh God…” He scrambled to get his phone inside his jacket and unlocked it. He registered those numbers, praying to be what he was thinking. Then, he opened the message app and sent a simple **‘Alexander? It’s Magnus.’**

He tapped anxious on the table, almost shouting in relief when a reply came just one minute later.

_**From: Alexander** _

**Yes. It’s me. I’m glad you accepted my number. I wasn’t so sure if I was reading the situation all wrong.**

_**To: Alexander** _

**Darling, you gave me chocolate on Valentine’s day. Twice. I’m pretty smitten ;D**

_**From: Alexander** _

**Good. Er, good. What do you feel about a date? Tonight. We could have drinks somewhere.**

**And I can give you more chocolate!**

Magnus took a moment, smiling in a way he thought he would never be capable of again. Feeling a warmth that melted the treacherous cold that made home inside his heart.

_**To: Alexander** _

**Oh, Alexander. Why would I need more sweeties when you exist? I’d love to go out with you.**

He always heard that life is bittersweet. For a long time, Magnus felt he would only know the bitter part. How ironic it was that Valentine’s day – twice – would bring the sweet part he always craved?


End file.
